Tears of Joy
by ktslayer
Summary: Six years into the future, Buffy meets up with Angel by way of Faith in New York. BA FW


Title: Tears of Joy  
  
Author: ktslayer  
  
Rating: PG-13, one bad word  
  
Description: Buffy come to New York to see Faith and finds that Faith has a different agenda for her sister slayer. BA, FW  
  
Spoilers: Post-"Chosen"/"You're Welcome"  
  
-----  
  
Over the years, the names and places seemed to swirl together to produce nothing but fogginess. Sunnydale, England, Rome, New York and countless other places. So many stops, so many new beginnings ended. She couldn't hold on to anything. Nothing felt real. She ached for something with real meaning, to feel love.  
  
She stayed in Rome longest. Dawn was in school and she really loved it there. So they stayed, training slayers and advising the new council. Buffy rarely had to go out and fight. She sent nightly patrols around the city, and had the slayers radio for help when they were outnumbered. One of the other girls would go. She felt like a watcher, always with the answer: the heart, the eyes, the neck. The ways to kill, not the means.  
  
Her friends came to visit her. They were spread around the world organizing slayers and helping the new watchers. Giles came to see her quite a bit. He trained Andrew to be a watcher. God, help the world.  
  
Pretty soon she felt like she wasn't needed by the slayers. That the slayers were only asking her what to do because it was what they did. They were trained well. Was this how Giles had felt?  
  
Dawn didn't need her either. She was going to University in England, and Giles was watching her there. After Sunnydale was swallowed by hell, the Summers had acquired a large insurance payoff. Dawn didn't even need Buffy's money. So the only thing tying Buffy to Rome was the beautiful, romantic, old buildings and her waitressing job at a small English speaking café.  
  
Faith was living in New York. Faith called and told her how much she like it there, and how Buffy should come to visit. So Buffy came. Faith was married to Wood. The picture of normalcy--and she was a slayer no less, the last one chosen--why couldn't Buffy have that?  
  
Buffy was in Faith's kitchen. It was small, but cheery, and Buffy had a mug of hot, black coffee. Faith was huge. She came waddling in and sat across from her. "Hey, B. What's up." She still hadn't lost her 'bad girl' charm.  
  
"You-" Buffy laughed. "All . . . suburbanized."  
  
"That's enough, B. One more crack about being barefoot and pregnant and I am going to have to kill something."  
  
"No." Buffy smiled, laughing lightly at the other slayer's joke. "It's good. I'm so happy for you." She looked at her slayer sister. She was so happy, so fulfilled. So Different than the aggressive, "Want, Take, Have" girl she knew so many years ago.  
  
Buffy also like it in New York. She loved being back in the US, and having Faith around her. So she bought a small apartment not far from the Wood's house to help Faith with her slayers. She could use the help, especially after Faith's daughter was born.  
  
Buffy came over to see Faith one morning. "Hey B. Want some coffee?"  
  
"Sure." Buffy took a sip from her cup, and said, "I am going to start looking for a job today."  
  
"Oh. Have you looked into Wood having you as a councilor again at the school." Wood was the principal at the local high school.  
  
"Yeah, I was thinking about that . . . but I want to keep my options open."  
  
"That's cool." Faith quieted. She was going to bring up something that went into the 'don't go there' category. "I know . . . I know you are not 'happy' with Angel.him being with W 'n H, but have you heard from him?"  
  
The questions threw Buffy off a bit. Angel was not trusted by the new council. As the head of Wolfram and Hart, he was considered evil. But Buffy knew that Faith had kept in touch. She owed him for saving her. Something Buffy only recently understood.  
  
"Umm . . . no." The older slayer responded.  
  
"Oh, well, he called last night. He has a meeting here this afternoon."  
  
Buffy's eyes widened. "He's coming here?"  
  
"He doesn't know you're here."  
  
"Oh." Buffy took a few seconds to think. "So . . . so he's coming over to the house?"  
  
"Yeah," Faith knew she was venturing on a sensitive subject to say the least. "He wanted to see little Nikki."  
  
"Oh." Buffy mumbled.  
  
"Hey, Buff is that all you can say? He's still good . . . he just runs an evil company."  
  
"I know . . . it's just that.he must feel so betrayed by the council . . . by me." Buffy looked down, unconsciously folding her napkin till it was a tight knot.  
  
"B, he probably feels the same way to the council. He runs an evil law firm . . . how good is that for redemption?" Faith stared at Buffy's face, full of emotion. "So, can we count on you to come?"  
  
Buffy contemplated. She knew she was going to say yes, but wanted to review all the negatives to seeing him. "Of course I'll come."  
  
Buffy really didn't get any job searching done that day. Mostly outfit searching. She hadn't seen Angel for six years, since that day on the eve of the Sunnydale explosion. God, she knew this guy for twelve years and he still made her nervous when she saw him.  
  
Buffy had come over to Faith's early to help with the baby. She was rocking the baby when he came to the door. She knew it was him. Faith hadn't expected him so early, and was the shower, and Wood was still at work.  
  
It was still light out, though apprehensive at seeing him, she flew to the door. He was stunned. "Buffy . . ."  
  
"Angel. Come'on in." Buffy looked at him. He was different. It must be the business suit.  
  
If Angel wasn't so surprised that she was there, he would have wondered if she linked the time of day and him coming in without an official invitation from someone who lived there. He guessed she thought he had been there before.  
  
Buffy was still holding the baby, and shifted her as the baby began to fuss.  
  
"Buffy, I thought you were still in Europe."  
  
"I moved to New York a few months ago. I had to get away from all those weird accents. Little did I know, they have 'em here too." Buffy joked, always making a situation less intense.  
  
"This must be Nikki." He looked down at the little girl in Buffy's arms. She wasn't much younger than Connor was when he was taken. Putting his arms out, he asked, "May I?"  
  
"Yeah, but don't tell Faith. I think she wanted to show you her."  
  
"Hey, baby." Angel softly whispered. Buffy watched him. He looked so sad for some reason even though he was smiling at the infant in his arms. "She's so beautiful." Angel commented to Buffy.  
  
"Yeah. Faith is so happy." Buffy stayed silent as she 'basked' at him. After the baby fell asleep they put her in a bassinet nearby.  
  
"So, how are you, Buffy?"  
  
"I'm good." she stretched, quickly redirecting the situation. "How's . . . how's Wolfman and Heart?" Damn, this wasn't much better a subject.  
  
He looked at her. She had put her head down when she asked him. She was ashamed. "Good. We're good." Her eyes were telling. "I know the council doesn't trust me, my firm. But Buffy, you can trust me."  
  
"I know." She admitted, looking him in the eyes. "It's just . . . everything. I wanted to call you, Angel. So many times."  
  
"Me, too." When his arms reached around her, she felt his warmth.  
  
". . . Angel," she stammered, "You're so warm."  
  
"Oh, Faith didn't tell you?" He pulled back and looked in to her confused eyes. "I'm human, Buffy. We fought this battle." He contemplated telling her the whole story, but decided to. "You were there, but you don't remember. So many people died. You did . . . again." He looked at her. She was in a mixture of shock and awe. "So when it was over, the world went back to the way it was right before everything started. . . and I got my redemption."  
  
"You're human?" She looked at him, pulling him into an embrace. "Angel. . ." Tears came from her eyes. She wondered why. This was what she had dreamed of. Not so much the last few years, but she did still think of him. Her wet, sticky lips found his.  
  
"Ahem." Faith was behind them checking on her daughter.  
  
Buffy and Angel pulled back. Buffy's eyes landed on Faith's. "You knew about this?" she questioned.  
  
"I thought he would wanted to tell you, B."  
  
"How. . . long." Buffy turned back to Angel.  
  
Angel stumbled. "A few. . . years."  
  
"Years?" Buffy pulled back further. "Why didn't you tell me?" She looked hurt.  
  
"I wasn't sure. . ."  
  
The three of them stood there for a long time. Buffy and Angel near the bassinet and Faith across the room.  
  
Faith broke the silence. "What. . . did you want him to say, 'Hey my soul is bound, lets go fuck each other.'"  
  
Buffy laughed. "You really know how to break a heavy moment, Faith." She didn't care how long he's been human. Every moment not touching him was too long. They pulled together for a kiss. She knew now what the tears were for. For happiness. She was crying for pure joy.  
  
"I love you, Buffy. All these years and I feel it more than the first time I told you." Angel ran his fingers through her blonde hair.  
  
"I love you, too." Now tears were coming from his eyes. This was all he ever wanted. To love and be loved. . . without fear of making evil. Purely unrestrained.  
  
Faith, not one for mush, went to the kitchen to meet her husband and finish making dinner. Or at least set out the plates for the take-out Wood had brought home.  
  
In the kitchen, Wood peered into his family room. "For a former inmate," Wood told his wife, "you are one hell of a match maker."  
  
"Ahhh, it was all there. Anyways, I owe it to them. And they deserve each other. Bloody heartthrobs."  
  
"You sound like Spike, dear." Wood commented.  
  
"*Honey,*" She responded, still uncomfortable with his endearments. "You know it's true."  
  
So Buffy and Angel went back to Los Angeles together. And for the first time in years, Buffy felt footed. Her life in L.A. was a fairytale. A gorgeous, rich husband who she loved with all her heart; a huge house and lots of money; and a beautiful baby girl and another on the way. She felt like she belonged. She felt loved. It all felt perfect. 


End file.
